RAPID CITY, S.D. --- The South Dakota Mines women's basketball team played well in its first weekend of action but was unable to come away with a win. This weekend, they hope to add to the win column, as they are just up the road in Spearfish, taking on Northern State and Sioux Falls on Friday and Saturday as part of the East/West Challenge.
GAME INFORMATION
Northern State
Date/Time: Nov. 17 / 5:00 p.m. MT
Site: Spearfish, S.D.
Arena: Donald E. Young Center
Series Overall: Northern State leads 5-1 (Since 2011).
Streak: Northern State Won 5.
Last Meeting: Northern State won in Aberdeen, 87-53 (11/20/2022).
Watch Live: RMAC Network | www.rmacnetwork.com/sdmines
Sioux Falls
Date/Time: Nov. 18 / 2:00 p.m. MT
Site: Spearfish, S.D.
Arena: Donald E. Young Center
Series Overall: Sioux Falls leads 9-3 (Since 2002).
Streak: Sioux Falls Won 8.
Last Meeting: Sioux Falls won in Sioux Falls, 64-57 (11/18/2022).
Watch Live: RMAC Network | www.rmacnetwork.com/sdmines
HITTING THE GLASS
Sydnee Durtsche and Naomi Hidalgo are two strong rebounders. Durtsche was one of the best in the RMAC in 2022-23, averaging 7.6 per game (sixth RMAC). She had double digit rebounds in seven different games last season, including a game where she recorded 15. Naomi Hidalgo averaged 4.2 per game, but that was in just 18 minutes per game. Hidalgo has the edges so far in 2023-24, grabbing 16 in her first two games, while Durtsche recorded 10.
SHARPSHOOTER
Piper Bauer picked up where she left off last season as one of the top three-point shooters in NCAA Division II and one of the RMAC's leading scorers. In the first weekend, she scored 22 and 12 points, hitting 43.3% of her shots from the field and 37.5% from three-point range.
SPREADING THE WEALTH
Emily Thomas, a true freshman in her first game action from Highlands Ranch, Colorado impressed in her first two appearances. She started in both games, playing over 25 minutes in each. She recorded four rebounds in each game while combining for nine assists.
STRONG THREE QUARTERS
In both games in the first weekend of play, the Hardrockers were the better team through three quarters. Against UTPB, South Dakota Mines led for 35 minutes, only surrendering the lead for the first time with under five minutes to play.
Against West Texas A&M, it was a similar story as the Hardrockers held the lead through three quarters and were outscored 23-9 in the fourth quarter.
The Hardrockers are a very young team, and this will likely get figured out as the season progresses.
SCOUTING NORTHERN STATE
A traditionally strong team, Northern State is coming off an 18-12 season, where they advanced to the Pentagon for the NSIC Tournament.
The Wolves were picked 10th in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll after losing several players from last year's team.
However, they do return three starters from a season ago in Rianna Fillipi, Alayna Benike, and Morgan Fiedler.
They started the season with a split, as they were in Claremore, Oklahoma, taking on #10 Central Missouri and Rogers State. They were able to play with Central Missouri for three quarters, before getting outscored 23-11 in the fourth quarter.
Following that loss, they were able to defeat Rogers State on the road, 68-59, thank to a fourth quarter where they allowed just eight points.
Madelyn Bragg looks to be a problem early in the season, as she scored 25 and 19 points in the two games. Bragg shot 67.9% from the field and added 13 total rebounds.
SCOUTING SIOUX FALLS
The Cougars are coming off a season where they finished 8-20 and 5-17 in conference play.
Sioux Falls brings back several of its highest minute getters in Brecli Honner, Madison Wuebben, Tayah Leenderts, and Megan Fannin among others.
Thus far, they have played once, dominating Mount Marty on Monday, 66-32. In that game, Riley Moreland was the leading scorer with 15, but she was joined in double figures, by Kami Wadsworth, Ayla Brown, and Danielle Minsaas.
Brown also recorded four assists.
LOOKING AHEAD
Following this weekend, the Hardrockers are off for a bit as they have Thanksgiving week off, before coming back on Nov. 27 to take on Black Hills State on the road for a non-conference matchup.
About South Dakota Mines
The South Dakota School of Mines & Technology is a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) and NCAA Division II offering 13 men's and women's varsity intercollegiate athletic programs. The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference is a premier NCAA Division II conference with 15 members, as well as four associate members, located in the states of California, Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Utah.
